Mike Paschall . com

19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.

 

Then he says, “but those who are without the law” (pagan/Gentiles/dirtbags/losers) he points to the key in relating to them … “I have to come with a different influence… a different kind of juice.”  Again, good progress for Paul (recovering religionist himself). He mentions the influence has to come from the Law of Christ.  There is NO LAW of Christ…. not technically or doctrinally anyway.  What we have here is something that I think the church is grossly short of… the real influence of Jesus’ personality, character, and life skills.  The best explanation that I have is that Jesus did confront the religious i.e. power establishment, but he didn’t try to topple them… he only expose their shallow impotence….”smells and bells” or “nickles and noses” religious infatuation. It wasn’t real, because God wasn’t in it.  The system in Jesus day was a business that exploited and robbed the poor of what little it had.  Some days I’m not sure that we’ve progressed much further. (I need to be drinking in order to enter that conversation any deeper).

 

Here’s my bottom-line: We have to be ruthlessly forceful to examine ourselves by this so called “Law of Christ”.  Can we assume that religious activity is in compliance at some level?  I think not.  We have to look at the human Jesus, and tap into his kind of compassion, mercy, forgiveness, second chances, restorative justice and long-suffering. His humanness perfectly revealed the real heart of God.  So much of who Jesus was was in direct opposition to what we’d call God worshipers.  Jews at the time, were the planet’s best… and Jesus looked NOTHING like them.

 

Back to Paul… the key to pushing to ball forward in our lives has to be the true character of Christ transforming us.  Not law, not doctrine, not religion… none of that.  There is only one savior in this world.  One.  We have to put all our chips on HIM.  Everything else. Everyone else…. is sinking sand. Do we look like, act like, think like Jesus?  There was nothing in the Beatitudes that was normal thinking for them. It’s an indicator of how far off track God worshipers had gotten in their modes of operation.  Quite frankly, I think the Church has lost its way too.  I know what little bit I see… makes it me feel like a salmon swimming up stream sometimes.  Jesus actually fillets the Pharisees with:  “You polish the outside of the dish and bowl… but inside you’re full of robbery and deceit… you’ve totally ignored the weightier provisions of the Law: Justice, Mercy, and Faithfulness” (Matt 23:23).  Yup… He took them to the woodshed.  Needed.  It’s still needed. How many times did Jesus say… “You’ve heard it said… [       ] BUT, I say to you… [        ].”  Quite often actually.  God with skin exposing the rampant blindness of religious activity.

 

For me my brother… I’ve got to measure things by Jesus.  That was/is the true divine voice. That’s our source.  He’s our head.  Period.